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Money talks on this one because after all, it's the second time Vitor's popped and for a friggin' repeat offender all he gets is basically gets a hand slap of eight-ish months "double secret" deal and immediately backs into a title fight, where he'll be rewarded with a sick payday on one of the biggest cards of the year.

He'll be 38 and I sincerely believe he can't come into this title fight and the camp it requires without some of those "pick-me-ups". They better be fucking testing him at all hours of the day, at random and I still think he'll get popped and blame a supplement.

The commission is only going to get harsher and harsher but this feels like a bad precedent to set, especially since Wand failed to TAKE the test and will probably get a year, while Vitor's a two-time failure and gets less than what he should....

I actually really, really like what is going on here--if its the first step in a progression.

That being said, I just gave a guy 3 to 1 odds that Vitor doesn't make the fight. Even if he stays clean; I believe like he's mentally reliant on juice now, and will either get injured or pull out.

But I like that the NAC is taking the circumstances into consideration and not simply rubber stamping the situation; and I LOVE the part where the fighter in question foots the bill and will be randomly tested throughout the rest of their career.

This needs to happen moving forward for all first time offenders. One strike: you're tested randomly at your own expense.

What I'd like to see--and what the sonnen situation makes me doubt will happen--is a lifetime ban for second offenses, moving forward.

But I've been calling for random testing at the fighter's expense for years, it's great that it's become a reality, and I hope it becomes the norm, rather than the exception.

Originally Posted by LordCC

The NSAC can't physically stop Vitor from fighting anywhere else but other AC's tend to uphold any NSAC suspensions as do the UFC if the event is being held in a country without an athletic commission. The UFC said they wouldn't do the fight in Brazil if Vitor couldn't get licensed in the States, with the UFC's core business being in Vegas they want to avoid crossing the commission wherever possible, especially when it comes to fighter licenses.

The NSAC are able to put any reasonable conditions on issuing a licesnse and thus two they have demanded is that he doesn't fight outside of Nevada and is regularly, randomly drug tested atr his own expense. If Vitor didn't agree to those conditions he wouldn't have been issued a license and if he goes against them I imagine they would revoke his license and 'probably' not issue him another in the future.

The NAC [they've dropped the "S" now, probably with the reboot when Kizer left] can simply refuse to license a fighter who doesn't abide by their sanctions, but they don't have the power to do anything else--and that's a good thing.

If you remember, Bigfoot got popped the first time and brought medical staff to a CSAC hearing explain how his acromegaly impacts his life and what meds he needs--this could be seen as the birth of the TUE process--and the CSAC didn't understand it, banned him anyway. His team argued that he needed to fight to pay for his medical expenses [he takes about 5k worth of drugs a month] and the CSAC upheld the ban. So he fought overseas. The AC then went after him and his cornermen, which was not only a douche move, it was beyond the purview. They should have just said "you guys can't practice/fight in CA again." Of course, the CSAC collapsed not long after.

I think what we're looking at is zuffa wanting to honor the AC's decision, and they wouldn't simply move a banned fighter to a different venue. Texas and NJ have shown that they'd host fighters who were under suspension from other ACs, but it's not in zuffa's best interest to go that route.

Originally Posted by LordCC

I have no in-depth knowledge of BJJ competitions or Galvao in particular but that is awesome.

Galvao is one to watch, even if you've never gotten into it. Odds are, he'll give up 50lbs to a well-juiced sonnen--the producers of Metamoris have stated that they don't acknowledge or care about PED controversy--and still take him to school. He's certainly more than capable of it.

rh

All manner of men came to work for the News: everything from wild young Turks who wanted to rip the world in half and start all over again -- to tired, beer-bellied old hacks who wanted nothing more than to live out their days in peace before a bunch of lunatics ripped the world in half.

I've said it before that Vitor is a guy who juice or no juice if he connects and smells blood he can put on a barrage like no other.
If Weidman can avoid getting stunned then this fight stays with him, on the other hand if Weidman gets caught Vitor is going to take the BELSCH to Braazil...and party with CHEESUS BRO.

Weidman revealed to Newsday that if he doesn't score a stoppage victory over the Brazilian bomber in "Sin City," then he's going to go home disappointed.

His words:

"I respect him as a fighter. I'm going in there ready for an absolute war and ready for the best Vitor we've ever seen. I can't afford to have any lack of respect when it comes to fighting. That being said, I'm going in there to get a finish. If I don't get a finish, I'd be real disappointed."

Before "The Phenom" was able to get his much-desired shot at the 185-pound belt, he had to get cleared by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) after prior tests revealed that his testosterone levels were far from normal.

Despite his past transgressions, Belfort was given the green light and granted a conditional license to compete in the state of Nevada. As part of the terms, he will be subjected to plenty of random pre-fight drug testing of which will be taken care of by his personal bank account.

And as the two men gear up to begin their press tour, Weidman is getting his game face on and preparing to answer any and all questions regarding Vitor's past drug issues.

Something Belfort himself should be used to doing by now.

"At this point, he should be pretty used to that type of talk. Nothing should bother him at this point. If it's something that gets people excited, something to talk about, then he should be okay with it and I should be okay with it."

“I’m definitely not comfortable,” Longo told MMAjunkie. “I just hope the guy passes the drug test. I hope the guy mans up and does what he has to as a man and for his kids and to set a good example. Instead of talking about it, just do it. Take the drug tests, pass them, and let’s get the fight on.”

Belfort has been one of the most controversial figures in MMA over the past year due to his well-documented use of testosterone-replacement-therapy (TRT). The treatment was suddenly banned in Nevada earlier this year, which caused several fighters, including Belfort, to face problems.

Weidman (12-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) and Belfort (24-10 MMA, 13-6 UFC) were originally scheduled to meet at UFC 173 in May; however, Belfort was flagged for elevated testosterone levels when subjected to a random NSAC drug test in February. The complication forced the Brazilian out of the bout and Lyoto Machida replaced him.

While the drug test results were originally kept private, Belfort later admitted he failed the test. For a brief period, he was slated to fight Chael Sonnen at UFC 175 on July 4th weekend, but the bout never came to fruition due to Sonnen’s own run-in with banned substances.

Debate surrounding the effectiveness of the now-banned TRT treatment varies from person to person, but Belfort’s use undoubtedly coincided with his current three-fight winning streak that saw him earn highlight-reel knockouts over Dan Henderson, Luke Rockhold and Michael Bisping.

While several high-profile fighters other than Belfort used TRT during the period it was allowed, his case differs from the rest because he tested positive for anabolic steroids following an October 2006 defeat under the PRIDE banner. The fact Belfort is a repeat offender is a source of great concern, says Longo.

“If you look at history in the past, you can’t be comfortable with the guy passing a drug test,” Longo said. “I’m just hoping the guy does the right thing and he had an epiphany somewhere and he’s going to do the right thing. Let’s pass the test and fight. So that’s what I want to happen.”

Considering the TRT phenomena had such a short lifespan, there’s very little precedent for Belfort’s situation. Questions surrounding his ability to perform at the same level as his previous fights are ongoing. When it comes to UFC 181, which takes place inside Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Events Center, Longo says he can only expect the version of Belfort who has three fights in a row, all by some form of head-kick knockout.

“We’re going to prepare for the TRT version of Vitor Belfort,” Longo said. “We’re going to prepare for the best Vitor Belfort there is. Weidman loves to test himself. He’ll beat him on steroids, off steroids – it doesn’t matter. We want to make it fair and we want the best Belfort there is.”

While Longo says he will put faith in Belfort and the NSAC to ensure a clean fight, he can’t help but shake the skepticism lingering in the back of his head.

Middleweight contender Luke Rockhold has already stated he’ll be prepared to step in for Belfort in case the worst happens and the 38-year-old fails another drug test. Longo says that’s not a terrible idea, because, much like when Machida stepped in for Belfort earlier this year, the promotion might be forced to resort to a Plan B.

“I just thing on his past actions, as a logical person, I don’t think I can be that comfortable,” Longo said. “We have to be ready for a contingency plan in case the guy fails the test, which kind of stinks.”